Waste Disposal Practices - Essay Example

Contents Page no. 2 of the study 3 Objectives of the study 3 Rationale of the study 3-4 Background 4-5 Literature review 5-8 Methods 8-10 References 11-13 Abstract: Making the company as sustainable and efficient as possible has commercial benefits and entail significant cost saving. It also helps to improve an organization's profile and hence competitive advantage and can increase staff morale. Taking control of the way company uses its resources improves management control as well as ensuring that the company complies with legislation. Responsible environmental practices through effective Environmental Management System (EMS) make good business sense. The present study tries to evaluate prevalent EMS in the company and also try to evaluate specifically the effectiveness of company's waste management practices. Waste management is an area that directly affects most businesses and is highly legislated by laws that can be difficult to apply and interpret. The price of waste disposal has increased significantly. The present study will evaluate the current waste disposal practices through analyzing the waste hierarchy i.e. 3 R's (Recycling, Re-use, and Reduction). In the process of evaluation of different models of EMS i.e. ISO 14001, ACRON (BS 8555), Environmental Management and Audit System (EMAS), the study will evaluate the different systems and try to conclude the best-fit system for the company through which waste management could be done. The present study use both qualitative and quantitative methodologies e.g. interviewing the key informants, questionnaire survey and evaluation through quantitative analysis. Key-Word: Environmental Management System (EMS), Waste management, Recycling, Re-use, and Reduction. Title of the study: An evaluation study of environmental management system and waste management for the company. Objectives of the study: The objectives of the study are following: 1. To evaluate the current environmental management system and waste management practices in the company; 2. To establish the business sustainability for restoring value to waste; 3. To identify the key barriers to effective waste management by evaluating the current procedures in the company; 4. To identify the possible solution to overcome barriers and to offer practical recommendations keeping in view the current legislative requirements and standards. Rationale of study: Sustainability has become a broad church in which the congregation ranges form governments to multinational corporations from non-governmental organizations to medium-sized and small companies and from aid charities to private individuals. At a corporate level, even the smallest business is touched by issues such as environmental regulations, standardization and business standards, occupational health and safety, traffic congestion, land and energy use, waste management and corporate social responsibility. Business needs to be more aware of how its actions impact on the environment and human health. Importantly for businesses, risk is determined by several factors, not just the intrinsic hazards of an activity or plant. This is where environmental management systems and procedures can reduce the risk of environmental accidents. We believe that a well-planned and well-implemented environmental management system (EMS) will help to improve the management of environmental risks from the activity. The effectiveness of organizations EMS's or procedures will be part of our assessment for judging what does and does not constitute 'real' risk. By identifying, managing and implementing responsible environmental practice, it makes good business sense and is synonymous with a well-managed organization. Background: Every business creates waste, but many businesses have demonstrated that huge savings can be made by managing it better. Good EMS practices are also important to make sure to keep with in the law, which is changing rapidly. Many companies have found that they can cut the amount of wasted materials by living production practices, and can often reuse or sell waste that they currently pay contractors to take away. That all ads up to lower costs, even before saving on waste disposal, which are going to become more significant. The message bearing down on the business community is clear- each organization must take the responsibility for reducing the impact of its business on the environment. What's more, just about every element of our society demands it. Whether it's local government, national government, suppliers or ultimately customers and the wider society in general, the message is the same - reduce, reuse recover, recycle more and landfill less. There are two main issues associated with dealing with waste arising. The first is cost and the second is legislation. Organizations need a more formal approach to improving its environment performance. Longer-term changes can be incorporated into and environment management system (EMS) which can be independently audited if required. The way an organization uses and disposes of resources has an impact on both costs and an environment. Waste reduction at source-that is careful purchasing to prevent waste- is environmentally and commercially the best option and is a growing area of business interest for many organizations. Waste is a commercial issue. Saving in waste disposal costs through reduction, reuse or recycling can be particularly significant, and costs of waste disposal often tends to be underestimated, despite their recent substantial increase in tapes. Many companies do not know what they spend on waste, and few companies are aware that the real cost of waste (including the value of raw materials, energy and wasted labor) can be up to 20 times the cost of disposal alone. On average, 70% of the office waste is recyclable, so there is significant potential for saving on disposable costs although there will generally also be a fee for a recycling service. Good environmental performance goes hand in hand with good business performance has been well documented. Going green an actually enhance a company's commercial standing. In today's world, business, industries and individuals are expected to take responsibility for environment performance and regulatory compliance. Businesses and industries with environmentally aware practices are prospering and making savings. In addition, businesses can usually benefit from savings in raw materials and waste disposal costs. Literature review: In 1990s environmental management systems (EMS's) designed and developed to provide a framework for organizations that were trying to incorporate environmental objectives into their decision making (Boiral and Sala 1998, Green and LaFontaine 1996, Miller 1998, Porter and van der Linde 1995, Powers 1995). Environmental management is viewed differently e.g. as a concept of total picture of environment; as a science of management of environmental resources; as a model of planning and management of environmental problems; as a methodology involving interlinked processes of management of ecological resources and problems arising out of interactions between human economic activities and various components of natural environmental system; as a process of striking balance between resource use and maintenance of environmental quantity and ecological balance; as an approach towards achieving the goals of sustainable development. El-kholy (2001) views environmental management as a process concerned with human environment interactions which seek to identify what is environmentally desirable; what are the physical, social, economic and technological constraints to achieving it; and what are the most feasible options. Environmental management is concerned with meeting and improving provision for human needs and demands on a sustainable basis with minimal damage to nature (Barrow, 2005). EMS's enhance an organization's environmental performance (Potoski and Prakash, 2005; Khanna and Anton, 2002; King et al., 2005), some scholars suggest that improvements are likely to occur within the organization's operational boundaries rather than being extended throughout the supply chain (Handfield et al., 2004). Environmental management is a goal and process leading towards sustainable development, sustainable environment and sustainable society through rational exploitation and optimal utilization of natural resources in long-term perspective so that availability and use of resources may be maintained continuously and there is no ecological imbalance and social disorder, so that human well-being is maximized and damage to environment is minimized. Organizations recognize that the process of standard organization can be used to create new markets. Environmental management systems have been adopted by most of the organizations. In the early 1990's work was initiated by the British Standards Institution (BSI) to develop an EMS specification, which was first published as BS 7750 (BSI, 1992). At around the same time, the European commission was developing the Eco management and audit scheme (EMAS) which was similar to BS 7750 but included some additional requirements for example public reporting of environmental performance. Following the publication of BS 7750, the international organization for standardization developed ISO 14001 Environmental management systems specification and guidance for use (ISO, 1996). More recently, a new British Standard BS 8555 (Acron) Environmental Management systems specifications and guidance for use were published (BSI, 2003). It provides a staged way for organizations to implement an EMS and achieve accredited certification to ISO14001 and registration to EMAS. It is primarily (but not exclusively) aimed at small and medium sized enterprises. Adopting a more formal approach through implementing an EMS has a number of advantages. Integrating responsibility for environmental issues into day-to-day work ensures that initiatives last beyond initial enthusiasm. An EMS also helps organizations to identify all their environmental effects and potential risks in a structured and systematic ways rather than responding to outside pressures on an ad hoc basis. In addition, as more organizations adopt EMS's they are starting to look at the effect their supply chain has on the environment. The main EMS standard is ISO 14001. There is also a European regulation, the EMAS (Eco management and audit scheme). These management standards have created an international blue print for integrating environmental issues into management structure of an organization. To the extent that EMSs improve an organization's environmental performance (Potoski and Prakash, 2005; Khanna and Anton, 2002; King et al., 2005), they also may increase its economic gains through enhanced operational efficiencies (Russo and Fouts, 1997; Porter and van der Linde, 1995). Reduction of waste at source through clean technologies and processes that require less material in the end product and produce less waste in their manufacture (Williams, 2005; Crittenden and Kolaczkowski, 1995). Where further reduction is not practicable, products and materials can sometimes be reused, either for the same or a different purpose (Pike et al., 2000). Recycling recovers materials from waste and converts them into a marketable or usable product. All businesses can reduce either the amount of or the hazardous properties of the waste they produce, and recover value through recycling. The first step is to undertake a thorough waste management review. Getting to grips with waste management can help enhance the organization's image both locally and with customers, while improving the local environment. Working with suppliers could reduce waste and improve the recycling and reuse of material. Even for the most widely recognized EMS's, which undergo external certification (such as ISO 14001); organizations are not required to engage their suppliers (Krut and Gleckman, 1998). Methods: Methodology is like a battle plan and techniques the type of weapon used (Borrow, 2005) whereas approaches are paths leading towards a destination (here a goal or goals of environmental management). These days environmental management needs proactive/anticipatory approach with predictive tools. Proactive approach to environmental management is based on the skill of anticipation of environmental problems to occur and hence there should be proper ways of predictions of certain problems arising out of uses of natural resources. Methodological consideration includes the following 3 basic points: * Environment is a closed system * Environmental/natural resources are finite and * Environment is a natural gift and thus is a public property. Clearly, there are two types of environmental management system approaches as follows: Command and Control approach or top down approach & Participatory or hands off voluntary approach or bottom up approach Command and control approach of environmental management is, in fact, government controlled approach wherein government machinery works in descending hierarchical order e.g. central government, state government, district administration and block officials. This approach is insensitive technocratic compartmentalized and authoritarian, centralize and non-sustainable and is based on command and coercion i.e. forceful implementation of development plan not caring for needs and aspiration of large section of society. Participatory approach is also known as eco-centric and bottom-up approach of environmental management. This is a hand-of voluntary and reward based approach and is eco-centric, decentralized, appropriate, participatory and sustainable. Basically, there are two types' of methods of environmental management i.e. holistic method and monistic method. Holistic method involves the solution of all environmental problems of a region, whereas monistic method seeks solution of single problem at a time. In the present study we first review the site and analyze it, which is called initial environmental review (IER) in ISO 14001 (1996). It will provide us the environmental aspect of the company's activities. This site analyze could be done through analyzing an input i.e. use of materials; an output - waste generated and intermediate steps i.e. activities in the company which directly and indirectly affect environment. This interrelationship provide us the relationship between waste and material uses (White et al., 1995) now in order to achieve the aims of the research, validity of information and data collection and sources of data takes the prime importance. The main aim of the study has to be fulfilled through establishing relationship between waste generated and material used. The interview has to be designed as such that it covers the complete interrelationship. Interview area commonly used method in development research because of its range of information that can be obtained. Interviews are an excellent way of gaining 'factual' information such as in present details of company's policies and government initiatives. Interviews may, therefore be an opportunity to examine processes, motivations and reasons for success & failures. These qualitative dimensions are a key reason why interviews are a very popular methodology. In the company, key staff members and top management whose role involves active role in waste management has to be selected for the interviews. At the next level, a questionnaire has to be administered on the larger sample size. The questionnaire designed was based on best practice methodology and includes respondents' knowledge on waste management, awareness of respondents' about what happens to their waste, attitude concerning the methods of waste disposal, Identify perceived barriers and solutions to managing waste and the possible ways to improve waste management. This provides us the basic knowledge of the people about environmental awareness and attitudes relating to how waste is managed and to identify possible barriers and solutions & managing waste more sustainably. References: 1. (BSI) British Standards Institute. (1992). BS 7750: Specification for environmental management systems. London and Milton Keynes: British Standards Institute. 2. Barrow, C. J. (2005): Environmental management and development, Routledge, London. 3. Boiral, Oliver and Jean-Marie Sala. (1998). Environmental management: Should industry adopt ISO 14001 Business Horizons 41, no. 1 (January-February): 57-64. 4. BSI (2003) 'BS 8555, Environmental Management Systems. Specification and guidance for use', British Standards Institution, London. 5. Crittenden, B and S Kolaczkowski (1995), Waste Minimisation: A practical Guide (Institution of Chemical Engineers, Rugby). 6. El-Kholy, O.A., (2001): Trends in environmental management in the last 40 years, in Ted Munn (ed.) Encyclopedia of global environmental change (Vol. 4), Wiley, Chichester, Pp.15-20. 7. Green P.E.J. and G. LaFontaine. (1996). Creating an effective environmental management system. Pulp & Paper Canada 97, no. 9, 42-44. 8. Handfield R, Sroufe R, Walton S. (2004). Integrating environmental management and supply chain strategies. Business Strategy and the Environment 14: 1-19. 9. 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Covenants with weak swords: ISO 14001 and facilities' environmental performance. Journal of Policy Analysis and Management 24: 745-769. 17. Powers, Mary Buckner. (1996). Companies await ISO 14000 as primer for global ecocitizenship. ENR 234, (29 May): 30-32. 18. Russo MV, Fouts PA. (1997). A resource-based perspective on corporate environmental performance and profitability. Academy of Management Journal 40: 534-559. 19. White, P R, M Frank and P Hindle (1995), Integrated Solid Waste Management: A life cycle inventory (Blackie Academic and Professional, London). 20. Williams, P T (2005), Waste disposal and treatment (John Wiley, Chichester). Read More